Lady Flames Field Hockey Falls In Big East Semis To Old Dominion

As time expired at the Proving Grounds, Liberty’s field hockey players knew their season was all but over. Their fate was sealed Saturday, April 24, when they missed the cut for the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Tournament. 

After a season full of promise and a chance at playoff redemption, the Lady Flames came up short once again against bitter rivals Old Dominion, who left as 2-1 winners in the Big East semifinals. Liberty’s loss makes this the second year in a row that Liberty has fallen in the semifinals to the Monarchs. 

Liberty came into the game with three wins against Old Dominion on the year and only one loss – but the Monarchs’ playoff experience showed April 22. 

ODU’s Marlon De Bruijne scored both of the Monarchs’ goals Thursday evening, and Liberty never found a way to regain the advantage. Her first goal came off a penalty corner early in the second quarter, before wrangling the ball past Liberty goalkeeper Azul Irixity Irigoyen for her second. 

Charlotte Vaanhold pulled a goal back for the Lady Flames early in the fourth, but they couldn’t produce an equalizer. Coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker gave her thoughts on the final score.

“The first word that comes to mind is unlucky,” Parsley-Blocker said. “Sometimes you do everything right and you lose and sometimes you do everything wrong and you win. That’s what I believe. We were a little bit unlucky. I did think they had a really great game plan … it just didn’t go our way.”

The scrappy affair did feature some offensive opportunities, but both teams responded with a pragmatic defensive approach that limited play. Old Dominion’s goalkeeper Cam MacGillivray was a standout performer, making five saves in the game. Parsley-Blocker spoke about MacGillivray’s game. 

“Hats off to Cam (MacGillivray),” Parsley-Blocker said. “She’s one of my favorite goalies every single year in the entire country. I think she’s phenomenal.”

Liberty freshman midfielder Reagan Underwood earned a spot on the all-tournament team with her performance in midfield against the Monarchs. Parsley-Blocker expressed excitement for Underwood’s development going forward.

“Reagan is one of the most exciting players I think to watch coming back next year,” Parsley-Blocker said. “She’s very, very talented … from a coaching standpoint you always see so much growth happen between someone’s first and second year, so we’re pretty pumped about that,” 

Ultimately, the loss ended Liberty’s chances of obtaining an automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Tournament. Confirmation of the season’s end came when Liberty did not receive one of three at-large bids at the tournament selection show. 

Despite the loss, this season will be remembered for the dizzying heights the program reached. 

The Lady Flames soared as high as No. 4 in the country at one point in the season, and they never dropped below No. 6. The No. 4 ranking is the highest in the history of any Liberty NCAA DI program.

For the first time in program history, Liberty beat conference rivals UCONN. UCONN are the powerhouse of the Big East, having won nine consecutive conference tournaments.

In all likelihood, the Flames will retain most of their core group of players for next season. 

Sophomore Daniella Rhodes emerged as a clinical goal scorer and Jill Bolton, the team points leader, is returning for one more campaign. Vaanhold tallied double-digit goals for the first time in her collegiate career. All three forwards, plus transfer Jodie Conolly, found themselves on the all-conference first team.

Freshman goalkeeper Azul Iritxity-Irigoyen also made the list, with her commanding performances since arriving in Lynchburg this January cementing her spot as Liberty’s No. 1 goalkeeper. 

For the first time in program history, the Lady Flames finished the season undefeated at home. The Lady Flames’ stout defense played a part in this feat, only allowing 17 goals across 16 games. The offense scored 57, an average of over 3.5 goals per game. 

Parsley-Blocker gave her final thoughts on the season.

“From my playing career at Northwestern, my time with the U.S. team and the junior national team, coaching at Yale and now being at Liberty, this was my favorite group to ever work with,” Parsley-Blocker said. “They’re just such a joy. There’s so many special kids — it’s just such a blessing to be able to work with them every single day.”

While the last stage of the season did not go as planned, the Lady Flames will be back for vengeance next year. 

Luke Randle is the Asst. Sports Editor. Follow him on Twitter at @lukerandle02.